Means for automatically operating a number of electric relays or solenoids at a preset time



Feb. 27, 1951 1. ANDERSSON 2,543,309

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING A NUMBER OF ELECTRIC RELAYS OR SOLENOIDS AT A PRE-SET TIME Filed Oct. 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 27, 1951 l ANDERSSON 2,543,309

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING A NUMBER OF ELECTRIC RELAYS OR SOLENOIDS AT A PRESET TIME 3 Sheets$heet 2 Filed Oct. 15, 1947 j X we 0/ WWW Feb. 27, 1951 1 ANDERSSON 2,543,309

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING A NUMBER OF ELECTRIC RELAYS OR SOLENOIDS AT A PRE-SET TIME Filed Oct. 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 27, 1951 MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING A NUMBER OF ELECTRIC RELAYS OR SOLENOIDS AT A PRESET TIME Ivan Andersson, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Application October 15, 1947, Serial 'No. 780,050

Claims. 1

The present invention relates to means for automatically actuating a number of relays or solenoids for operating radios, signals, announcers and the like at a preset time and is applicable to my invention described and claimed in my patent application filed on August 27, 1947, Serial Number 770,914, patent issued Number 2,488,575.

The objects of this invention are to secure accurate timing for the automatic operation, to provide means for adjusting and setting; the clock which controls the automatic operation, and to provide means for automatically changing the automatic operation into manual operation or vice versa.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention applied to a radio where:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section and similar to Fig. 5 in my previous application mentioned above, embodying the present invention but with parts omitted which are not essential for the description.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 with cam levers in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view but with cam levers moved into inoperative positions.

Fig. 4 is a fractional view of cam and levers in one position.

Fig. 5 is a fractional view of cam and levers in another position.

Fig. 6 is a fractional view of cam and levers in a third position.

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view showing integral parts of the arrangement and the electrical system.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an end view of a solenoid with armature and latch in inoperative position.

Fig. 10 is a similar view but with armature and latch in operative position.

Fig. 11 shows a fractional plan of a solenoid with connected parts and arrangement for switching on or off a radio to or from the electric supply.

Fig. 12 is an end view of Fig. 11 showing the switch in the on position.

Fig. 13 is a similar view but with switch shown in off position.

As described in my patent application mentioned above, a slotted body I, Fig. 1, supported on a bracket 23 carries a number'of toothed racks 8 having projections I05 which are adapted to engage pins 90 mounted on a rotating disk I3 which also carries contact springs I4 which normally are out of engagement with the contact rings I6,

and contact spring I5 which is always in contact with the contact ring II which are carried by the non-conducting disk I9, Fig. 1. Any of the pins 90, when struck by a projection I05, causes contact to be established between a corresponding contact spring I4 and a contact ring I6. In my previous application this closed an electric circuit through a relay or solenoid, but in the present application a timing device is interposed for more accurate timing. To accomplish this I provide cam I30, Fig. 1, to Fig. 5, mounted on a shaft I3I which is rotated by the clock work and geared to the minute shaft 51 through gear wheels I32, I33 and pinion H2 mounted on said shaft 51, Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The hour shaft 56 being driven b the same shaft I3! through gearing I32, I33, I34 and gear wheel II'I mounted on the shaft 56, Fig. 1. The cam I35 rotates at the same speed as the minute shaft which is one revolution per hour. The cam has four steps on the periphery equally spaced. Three levers I36, I31 and I38 are mounted so as to be actuated by this cam successively. One lever I36 when actuated by the cam closes an electric circuit through the contact members I39 and I48 which occurs at the end of each quarter hour, Fig. l, causing an electric solenoid I4I, Fig. 8, to be energized, which causes any radio or signal connection to be discontinued. After a short interval a second lever I3! is actuated by the cam I30 which breaks the first said electric circuit through separation of contact members I42 and I43 but closes another electric circuit through contact members I44 and I45, Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, if electric connection has been made between ring I! and any one ring Is by the operation of a pin 90 striking a projection I85. By closing the last said electric circuit a solenoid I46 and a solenoid I52 are energized which causes a radio, station to be tuned in by push button 289 of a radio ZOI being actuated by the armature I of solenoid I52. After a further short interval of time a third lever I38 is actuated by the cam I38 which breaks the last said circuit through the separation of contact members I41 and I48, Fig. 2, and Fig. 6, after the radio station has been tuned in, which continue until the first named lever I36 goes into action again.

All the levers are mounted on pivots I49 with one end riding on the cam and the other end which carries a non-conductive stud I59 engaging and operating the contact members. The two contact members I42 and I44 move together by being interconnected through a non-conductive link I5I. The solenoids 52 for operating the push buttons have armatures I53 which are held in inoperative positions by helical springs I54 and stops I55 on the reduced ends I56, Fig. '7 and Fig. 9. When a solenoid I52 is energized,

the armature is drawn in against the action. of the spring I54 and a latch I5'I is pushed down b a spring I58, locking the armature in operative position. At the same time the electric current which energizes the solenoid and flows through the contact members I59 and IE0 is o broken by the separation of the two contact members, Fig. 10. A rocking shaft ISI carries cams I99 which, when th shaft is rocked in one direction, lifts the latches which frees any armature locked in an operative position, but on rocking it in the other direction, frees the latches and allows any of them to be pushed down and lock the armature in an operative position when a solenoid is energized, Fig. 10.

The shaft I! is rocked by the operation of the two solenoids I4I and I48, the armatures I62 and I63 of which are connected to a lever I64 rigidly mounted on the rocking shaft IBI. The current for energizing the solenoid I 4I passes through the contact members I65 and I69 when the armature is in its outward position as indicated in broken lines. The sleeve IE1 of non-conductive material carried by the armature I62 holds the two contact members I55 and I55 in contact which allows any incoming current to flow through and energize the solenoid MI causing the armature to move the sleeve I61 from the contact members separating them and break the circuit. The contact rings I5 are connected by wires I89 to the solenoids I52 through contact members I59 and I59 which are in contact when the armature is in inoperative position, and then by the wires I68 to the electric supply wire I69, Fig. '7. The contact ring I1 is connected by wire I18 to contact member I44 which on the rotation of the cam I39 and passing of a step by the cam lever I3? brings it into contact with contact member I45. When contact has been established between ring I1 with any of the rings It by the previous mentioned contact members on the disk I3, Fig. 1, an electric circuit ha been closed from supply wire I99, through wire I68, solenoid I52, contact member I59, contact member I59, wire I96, contact ring I5, contact ring I1, wire I19, contact member I44, contact member I45, through wire I1I, contact member I48, contact member I41, through wire I12, solenoid I49 and the wire I13 to the electric supply line I14, the result is that the solenoid I it has been energized and the armature M9 actuated which rocks the shaft IS! and turns the cam I99 which frees the latch I51. The solenoid I52 being in the closed circuit is en ergized and the armature drawn into an operative position and the latch I51 pressed by the spring I58 into a position which locks the armature in the operative position, causing the contact be tween the two contact members I59 and IE9 to be broken. This condition lasts for fifteen minutes, when a cam step of cam I passes the one end of cam lever I 39 which brings the two contact members I39 and I49 together closing an electric circuit through the electric supply wire I14, contact members I43 and I42, wire I95, con tact member I48 and I39, through Wire I15, so1enoid I4I, contact members I95 and I55, to the electric supply wire I69, the last two contact members being in contact as the armature has been moved to an outward position through lever I64 when solenoid I46 was energized. The solenoid I4I being energized when the last said cir cuit was established, causes the armaturev I62 with sleeve I81, of non-conductive material,.to be actuated, breaking the contact between I 66 and I95, rocking the shaft I5I and cam I99, thereby lifting the latch I51, freeing the armature I54 which is pushed out by the helical spring I53 into an inoperative position, and starting a new cycle of 15 minutes.

To turn on or ofi the electric supply for the radio following arrangement is made: On the rocking shaft I6I a disk I16 with a pin I11, Fig. 11, is rigidly mounted and adjacent to this an other disk I18 is loosely mounted. Last said disk carries a handle I19 for manual operation and has a slot I through which protrudes the aforesaid pin I 11. Two sets of contact members I8! and I82 are provided for connecting the electric supply to a radio or signal system through the wires I83 and I84. The two sets of contacts are actuated by two projections on the loosely mounted disk I18 so that by turning the handle I19 in one direction which is the on direction, contact is made between the contact members and the supply circuit through I83 and I84 started. By turning the handle I19 in the opposite direction to the off position, the contacts between the contact members I8I and I82 are broken. When the shaft IBI stands in an inoperative position, Fig. 9, the pin I11, Fig. 11., is in a neutral position as shown which will allow the manual handle to be moved into on or off position without affecting the pin. But if automatic operation is started by one of the pins 95 on disk I3 striking a projection M5 on a rack 8, l, and a step of the timing cam I99 passes the end of the cam lever I31, the automatic cycle of 15 minutes as heretofore described will start and the pin I11 on the disk I19 moves in the slot or disk I18 by the rocking shaft IIiI provided that the handle I19 stands in the on position, Fig. 12. However, does the handle stand in the off position, the pin I11 will move into the broken line position, Fig. 13, and the handle I19 will move into the on position, closing the contact members I8I and I82 and establish the electric supply circuit for the radio or signals.

If it is desirable to turn oil the radio soon after it has been started automatically, the handle I19 is turned to the off position. This will turn the pin I11 into the neutral position and rock the shaft Iiil and turn the cams I52, lift'ng the latches I51 out of the way of any armature I54 causing the contact members I59 and I55 to make contact and close a circuit through the solenoid I52 as long as current is flowing, thereby energizing the solenoid and actuate the armature I54 which causes it to chatter when C. current is being used, provided that contact still exists between rings I6 and I which may last for a few minutes. To prevent this I have arranged two contact members I41 and I48 which are nor mally kept in contact by the cam lever I38 which is actuated by the cam I3 3. The contacts form a path in a closed electric circuit but on passing 01f a step on the cam I39 the lever I38 will allow the contact members to separate and break the circuit which takes place soon after the solenoids I46 and I52 have been energized, thereby allov ing the aforesaid manual handle to be turned to the off position without producing a chatter.

For setting of the clock the spindle II 4 passes through a hole in shaft Z'I which carries the clock 29 and is supported by bracket 22. The spindle II4 carries a pinion I I3 at one end for engaging pinion i I2 mounted on the minute hand shaft 51 and a knurled button H5 at the rear end. A helical spring IIG keeps the pinion out of engagement normally, Fig. l. A bellcrank I85 is pivoted on a bracket I86, the one arm I81 of which is forked and carries studs which engage a groove I88 in a sleeve I89 rigidly mounted on the spindle II 4. The other arm I 99 engages a slot I9I, Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, in the disk I92 which is loosely mounted on shaft I3I. This disk carries three studs I93 adapted to engage the cam levers I36, I31, I38, and turn them away from the cam [30 when the bell crank I85 is turned on its pivot. This occurs when the pinion H3 is pushed into engagement with the pinion M2 for adjustment of the clock enabling the cam I30 to be rotated in both directions freely without interference from the cam levers.

I claim:

1. In an arrangement of an electric coil having an armature for actuating a push button of a radio and forming part of an electric circuit, and means for automatically making and breakin said electric circuit at pre-arranged time intervals, the arrangement of a cam disk provided with steps, means for rotating said cam disk, a cam lever adapted to be actuated by the steps, a set of contact members interposed in the electric circuit and normally open but adapted to be actuated and closed by the cam lever during the aforesaid make and break period, a second cam lever adapted to be actuated a short time after by the cam, a second set of contact members interposed in the electric circuit and normally closed but adapted to be actuated by the last said cam lever and to break the contact a short time after the first said contact members were closed during the make and break period of the prearranged time interval, a third cam lever adapted to be actuated by the cam shortly before the first said cam lever is actuated, an electric circuit independent of the first circuit, an electric coil and armature being part of the second circuit, a set of contact members interposed in this circuit adapted to be closed by the said third cam lever before the first cam lever has actuated and closed the first said contact members in the first electric circuit, a second set of contact members interposed in the second circuit and normally closed but arranged to break the second circuit at the same time the first circuit is closed, mean for locking the first said armature and push button in an operative position and means adapted to be actuated by the armature and coil in the second circuit for releasing the first said armature and freeing the push button actuated by the said armature.

2. In an arrangement of an electric coil havi an armature for actuating a push button of a radio and forming part of an electric circuit, and means for automatically making and breaking said electric circuit at pre-arranged time intervals, a latch for locking the armature in its operative position, means for withdrawing the latch to release the armature, means for withdrawing the armature from its operative position, a second electric coil with an armature interposed in the electric circuit and in series with the first said coil, and means actuated by the second coil and armature for releasing the latch from its inoperative position and allow it to lock the armature of the first said coil in its operative position.

3. In an arrangement of an electric coil having an armature for actuating a push button of a radio and forming part of an electric circuit and means for automatically making and breaking said electric circuit at pre-arranged time intervals, a latch for locking the armature in its operative position, means for withdrawing the latch to release the armature, means for withdrawing the armature from its operative position, a second electric coil with an armature interposed in the electric circuit and in series with the first said coil, means actuated by the second coil and armature for releasing the latch from its inoperative position and allow it to lock the armature of the first said coil in its operative position, means for connecting said radio to the electric supply of the first said circuit and forming a second circuit, means for making and breaking said circuit, said means being connected to the means actuated by the second coil and armature and operated for actuating the latch.

4. In an arrangement of an electric coil havin an armature for actuating a push button of a radio and forming part of an electric circuit and means for automatically making and breaking said electric circuit at pre-arranged time intervals, a latch for locking the armature in its operative position, means for withdrawing the latch to release the armature, means for withdrawing the armature from its operative position, a second electric coil with an armature interposed in the electric circuit and in series with the first said coil, a rocking shaft actuated by the second coil and armature, a cam rigidly mounted on said shaft and arranged for releasing the latch from its inoperative position and allow it to lock the armature of the first said coil in its operative position, means for connecting said radio to the electric supply of the first said circuit and forming a second circuit, contact members interposed in said circuit, means mounted on the aforesaid rocking shaft for actuatin aforesaid contact members to make or break the last said circuit.

5. In an arrangement of an electric coil having an armature for actuating a push button of a radio and forming part of an electric circuit and means for automatically making and breaking said electric circuit at pre-arranged time intervals, a latch for locking the armature in its operative position, means for withdrawing the latch to release the armature, means for Withdrawing the armature from its operative position, a second electric coil with an armature interposed in the electric circuit and in series with the first said coil, a rocking shaft actuated by the second coil and armature, a cam rigidly mounted on said shaft and arranged for releasing the latch from its inoperative position and allow it to lock the armature of the first said coil in its operative position, means for connecting the said radio to the electric supply of the first said circuit and forming a second electric circuit, contact members interposed in said circuit, a cam loosely mounted on the aforesaid rocking shaft and having a handle for manual operation and a concentric slot, a disk rigidly mounted on the rocking shaft, a pin mounted on said disk and protruding thru the concentric slot in the cam, enabling the cam to be operated manually independent of the disk and rocking shaft, but allowing the pin carried by the disk which is rigidly mounted on the rocking shaft, to automatically engage one of the ends of the concentric slot in the cam and operate the same thereby actuating the contact members to make and break the electric circuit.

IVAN ANDERSSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

